HEALTH experts are to look at ways of tackling the rising trend of binge drinking among young women in the North-East.

The national conference, taking place in Sunderland on Wednesday, will launch the National Alcohol Reduction Strategy and look at ways of targeting the thousands of men and women in the region who drink more than the safe limits for alcohol.

Staged by Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust (TPCT), it will focus on problems in Wearside. It is estimated that in Sunderland there are about 42,000 men and 26,000 women who drink more than the recommended safe limits for alcohol.

About 11,500 men and 3,000 women are regarded as alcohol dependent, that's 11 per cent of the area's men and 2.5 per cent of women.

The region has an increasing culture of binge drinking, particularly among women, and cases of chronic liver disease among female drinkers are rising faster than among males.

The region's first alcohol and substance misuse co-ordinator, Peter Carlin-Page, who works for the TCPT, will lead the conference, at the Industry Centre, Wessington Way, in the city.

He said: "For nearly 20 years there has been a continuing pressure for a National Alcohol Strategy that will place alcohol treatment and prevention as a priority for local and national action. It is a significant step forward to finally have this national strategy."

The conference demonstrated the TPCT's commitment to gaining a better understanding of the problems the city faced so it could bring in services to deal with alcohol-related problems.

Speakers will include chief executive of Alcohol Concern, Eric Appleby and Superintendent Michael Hartnack, of Northumbria Police